Extensible footrest, particularly for armchairs, sofas and the like

• US 6,517,160 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2001
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ciar SpA
• Original Assignee: Ciar SpA
• Inventors: Marcantoni, Egidio
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuomo, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDELL, JOSEPH F
• Application Number:
  US09/775,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20010022461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 736 Days
• Field of Search: 297/423.3, 297/423.31, 297/423.32, 297/423.36, 297/423.29
• US Class Current: 297/423.36
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/506 of adjustable type
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 7/5068 actuated by linkages

Abstract

An extensible footrest, particularly for armchairs, sofas and the like, which comprises a frame adapted to be hinged to a frame of a seat of an armchair, sofa or the like, the footrest frame being constituted by a first pair of lateral arms and by a second pair of lateral arms which are slideable with respect to the first pair of lateral arms, at least one actuator being rigidly connected to the seat frame at one end and to the footrest frame at an opposite end, in order to transfer the footrest frame from a first retracted inactive position to an extended active position.

Claims

1. An extensible footrest, particularly for armchairs, sofas, comprising a frame which is adapted to be hinged to a frame of a seat of an armchair, sofa, said footrest frame being constituted by a first pair of lateral arms and by a second pair of lateral arms which are slideable with respect to said first pair of lateral arms, at least one actuator being rigidly connected to said seat frame at one end and to said footrest frame at an opposite end, in order to transfer said footrest frame from a first retracted inactive position to an extended active position, said at least one actuator being supported by at least one supporting roller arranged below the frame of the seat and below the actuator, said roller providing a smooth extension and retraction movements of the actuator, said roller defining a supporting guide for said actuator, the roller being constantly in contact with said actuator and being always in a same position throughout the whole extension and retraction movements.

2. The footrest according to claim 1, wherein each arm of said second pair of lateral arms has guides for sliding in engagement with said first pair of lateral arms.

3. The footrest armoring to claim 1, wherein said arms of said first pair of lateral arms are connected to one another by cross-members, an additional arm, arranged parallel to said first pair of lateral arms, being adapted to engage a further arm arranged parallel to said second pair of lateral arms and in line with said additional arm, said additional aim and said further arm being arranged inside a region delimited by said second pair of lateral arms.

4. The footrest according to claim 3, wherein the engagement between said additional arm that is parallel to said first pair of arms and said further arm that is parallel to said second pair of arras is provided by means of sliding guides.

5. The footrest according to claim 1, wherein a stem of said at least one actuator is supported, in the extension and retraction movement, by said at least one supporting roller.

6. The footrest according to claim 1, wherein pivoting points of the end of said actuator that is rigidly coupled to said seat frame and pivoting points of said footrest frame to said seat frame remain in the same relative position as the angle between a longitudinal axis of said footrest frame and a longitudinal axis of said seat frame varies.